The Under-21 coach has selected a very strong squad with the likes of Luuk de Jong, Kevin Strootman, Jordy Clasie, Georginio Wijnaldum and Jetro Willems already been capped at full international level.

De Jong even though has senior experience with the Netherlands, he knows he still has plenty to prove at this summer’s Euros. The Borussia Mönchengladbach striker, who won his first full cap more than two years ago, aged 20, has since gone on to pick up six more. However, he remains part of the Jong Oranje setup and looks set to be part of the squad that Pot takes to Israel. The Dutch face a tough task in Group B against Spain, Germany and Russia.

“Every youth tournament, for every player, is an experience in itself,” De Jong told UEFA.com. “You can learn a lot by playing against your own age group. These are the best players in Europe and that’ll be a great experience. I have played for the senior team as well, which is another step higher, and you learn a lot from that. But here me and some other guys who also played in the senior team already, we all need to show we deserve to be part of this team.

“If you win the tournament … that’s the thing you are hoping for. Perhaps with the qualities we have we might be able to reach that, but you have to adjust as a team first. You have to approach each game in a focused manner and fight for each other all the way – then you might have a chance.”

Coach Cor Pot will leave the Jong Oranje management team after the tournament in June, Albert Stuivenberg, the mastermind of the Dutch Under-17s’ back-to-back European triumphs, will succeed Pot.

The 42-year-old has signed a contract running until the conclusion of the Brazil 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and will look to replicate his success with the Under-17 team. Under Stuivenberg, the Netherlands won back-to-back European Under-17 Championships though they failed as double title holders to qualify for this month’s final tournament in Slovakia.

2 responses to “NEWS: Jong Oranje provisional squad announced”

We believe players who were 21 or under at the beginning of the qualifying are allowed to play at the final tournament even if they pass the age of 21. In the European Under-21 Championship, there have always been players who were even 23 years old at the final tournament.